Page 38 of Johnny Gun

“I’m back,” Opal chirped from the doorway. “Guess what?”

Isolde gasped, but Sydney kept her composure. “You’re not taking a shower.”

“Not that.” She waved a hand. “I ran into Johnny Gun. He asked me if I would bring this to the kitchen for him. He said he didn’t want to intrude. He’s cute, but so silly.” Giggling, shebrought a salad plate with a knife and fork sticking out of a folded linen napkin to Sydney.

“Thanks, darlin’,” Sydney said.

“No problem.” Opal gave her the items and rushed out.

Ice invaded Isolde’s veins and limbs. She stared at Sydney as if her friend held an explosive device. Carefully, Sydney lifted the folded linen, picked up a note from inside, and held it up for Isolde.Four a.m.was written in block letters.

“Here’s your notice, my dear.” Sydney gave her the paper.

“Yes.” Isolde took the note to the stove and turned on a burner. Holding the tip to the flame, she lit the paper, then dropped it in the sink. She stood watching until it turned black and disintegrated to ashes, then she ran the water, ensuring every fragment went down the drain.

“Thorough,” Sydney said.

“It’s the only way.”

“Do you need help waking up?”

Isolde gave a soft laugh. “Thanks, but I doubt I’ll get any sleep. I’ll set my phone alarm anyway.”

“Pro—promise me you’ll be careful.” Sydney’s voice cracked. “Listen to Johnny. He knows what he’s doing, Gosh, girl. I’m going to miss you.”

“I love you, Sydney.” Isolde wrapped her arms around her friend, squeezed her hard, and quickly stepped back. “We have to be careful.”

“I know. Business as usual, right?”

“As usual,” she said, walking to the doorway.

“Isolde.”

“Yes?”

“Will you keep me informed?”

“I’ll figure something out. Okay?”

“That’s good enough for me.”

She couldn’t speak anymore. Her throat ached. If she tried,she’d end up sobbing. So she walked out without looking back. Not until this moment did she realize the impact of her actions on the people she loved and herself. She’d had little time to contemplate and process. In a weird way, she cherished this MC clubhouse. A string of memories rolled through her mind: happy moments with her parents, Opal, the guys, Sydney…

The place had been her home since childhood. Would she ever return?

Are you afraid of the future?

Johnny’s beloved face pushed the old memories aside. He took away all her doubts. With all her heart and soul, she wanted to join her life with his. A mix of trepidation and happy excitement took residence in her chest, then rippled outward, infusing her with strength and courage.

Are you ready?

Yes. Let’s do this.

The endless hours dragged on. Waiting in his room, Johnny disassembled, then put back together every action he’d planned. He looked for errors, lapses, details he might have missed, but couldn’t come up with anything. Barron’s arrangements, especially his brilliant idea of switching vehicles, had given Johnny a measure of comfort and confidence. As soon as this mess was resolved, he would take Barron and Yoanni to the most expensive restaurant in Savannah.

The moment of truth, the real acid test, was almost upon him. If what he’d done to kill the lights worked, their escape was ensured. Finally, he stopped pacing. For the tenth time, he touched his phone screen. This time, three thirty flashed on. Time to go. He dropped the phone into his pocket and slid on his backpack. Slowly, he raised his window pane… Holding his breath, he stepped out over the ledge to the damp grass and froze. The grounds remained dark, and he blew out a breath.

Success.

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